Facing Off: Samsung SL620 vs Sigma DP3 Merrill – A Deep Dive into Ultracompact & Large Sensor Compact Cameras

When it comes to picking a camera that suits your style and photographic ambitions, the devil is in the details. Today, we dissect two cameras that couldn’t be more different in purpose and pedigree: the 2009-era Samsung SL620, an ultracompact snapshot machine, versus the decidedly niche-oriented 2013 Sigma DP3 Merrill, a large-sensor compact with a fixed 75mm prime lens famed for its Foveon X3 sensor. Both come fixed-lens and profess simplicity, yet they target distinctly different users. Having spent countless hours evaluating everything from sensor tech to ergonomics across many cameras, I’m excited to share an honest, experience-rich analysis to guide your decision.

Let’s unwrap the layers of these two very different approaches to image making.

The Basics: Size, Handling, and Physical Design

Right out of the gate, these cameras couldn’t be more physically distinct.

The Samsung SL620 is petite and pocketable - its 92x61x23mm frame and 168g weight make it an easy everyday companion. It’s the kind of camera you stuff in a coat pocket or handbag without a second thought. The design reflects a classic ultracompact style from the late 2000s: minimal buttons, no viewfinder, and a modest 2.7-inch LCD. This minimalism lends simplicity but limits advanced handling or quick manual adjustments.

Contrast that with the Sigma DP3 Merrill, which is more of a statement piece. With dimensions of 122x67x59mm, it's decidedly boxier and heavier at 330g - about twice the weight. The aggressively utilitarian shape prioritizes grip and manual control over compactness. The 3-inch, higher resolution LCD is a nice upgrade here, giving a crisp preview that reflects the camera’s emphasis on image quality.

The top view also reveals the Samsung’s barebones approach - few dials, no dedicated exposure or aperture controls, just a modest zoom rocker, and a shutter button. The Sigma, meanwhile, offers shutter and aperture priority modes, manual exposure, and a dedicated dial layout that professional users will appreciate. This layout enables precise exposure control that you simply won’t find on the Samsung.

Handling Verdict: The SL620 caters to casual snapshots - ultra-compact, lightweight, and straightforward. The DP3 Merrill is demanding but rewarding, designed for deliberate shooting where control matters more than agility.

Under the Hood: Sensor Technology and Image Quality

Let’s talk about the beating heart of any camera: the sensor.

The Samsung SL620 sports a conventional 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor measuring 6.08x4.56mm with a resolution of 12MP. This sensor is typical of many point-and-shoots of its vintage, optimized for good color rendering and low noise in decent light, but limited by its physical size and CCD technology. The max ISO of 1600 feels lofty but struggles with noise above 400–800 ISO in practice.

The Sigma DP3 Merrill boasts an APS-C sized Foveon X3 CMOS sensor measuring a substantial 24x16mm (roughly 14 times the surface area of the Samsung’s CCD!) with a 15MP output. The Foveon sensor captures colors in three stacked layers, akin to film’s color fidelity, capturing richer and more nuanced tones without a traditional Bayer filter. This unique tech excels in resolving fine detail and color accuracy, especially at base ISO 100–200. However, it struggles with noise and dynamic range in lower light compared with modern CMOS sensors.

In practice, the Sigma delivers images with remarkable sharpness and color gradations that rival much larger DSLRs, especially for static subjects and controlled lighting. The Samsung’s sensor is adequate for social media-sized prints or snapshots but cannot compete in refinement.

Image Quality Verdict: Massive advantage to the DP3 Merrill, with its large sensor and unique Foveon tech enabling richer detail and colors. The SL620 fits simple snapshot needs only.

Zoom Lenses & Focal Lengths: Versatility vs Specialization

Both cameras come with fixed lenses, so focal length matters a lot.

• Samsung SL620: 35-175mm equivalent zoom (5× optical zoom), aperture F2.8 at wide and F5.7 at tele.

• Sigma DP3 Merrill: 75mm prime (1×), fixed aperture F2.8.

The Samsung’s zoom gives you all-purpose framing flexibility, from wide-ish snapshots to modest telephoto reach - ideal for travel, street shooting, or casual portraits. Aperture tapering from F2.8 to F5.7 is expected for a lens that covers such a broad zoom range on a small sensor.

The Sigma’s 75mm prime lens situates it firmly as a medium-telephoto portrait and still life lens on APS-C, with a field of view roughly equivalent to 112.5mm full-frame. It’s fast at F2.8, delivering crisp details and shallow depth-of-field bokeh - though no optical stabilization is present.

For macro work, the Samsung can focus down to 5cm close-up, though its tiny sensor limits true macro usability. The Sigma does not specify a dedicated macro range, so it’s not a macro specialist.

Lens & Zoom Verdict: Samsung offers greater framing freedom and versatility; Sigma is focused niche with a sharp, portrait-friendly medium tele prime.

Autofocus, Exposure, and Manual Control: The User Experience

Autofocus and control modes define how flexibly you can shoot, especially in dynamic situations.

The Samsung SL620’s autofocus system relies on contrast detection only, with face detection support - a helpful feature for casual portraits. However, it only supports single autofocus mode with a fixed center area focus point. Exposure modes are fully automatic; no manual, aperture, or shutter priority modes exist. Exposure compensation and bracketing are absent - so if your scene is tricky, you’re out of luck. There are basic WB correction and manual white balance presets.

The Sigma DP3 Merrill, conversely, offers fully manual exposure, aperture priority, and shutter priority, alongside exposure compensation. This is crucial for photographers who want to dial in artistic control. However, the autofocus system is entirely manual-focus only! No AF point, no face or eye detection. This strong emphasis on technique speaks to a photographer more concerned with precision than speed.

Neither camera offers continuous autofocus or tracking. Burst shooting is limited to the Sigma’s modest 4 fps; the Samsung doesn’t specify but is likely under 2 fps typical for compacts of the era.

AF & Control Verdict: Samsung is cinematically automated but limited; Sigma demands manual focus skills but offers significantly more exposure control flexibility.

Displays and Viewfinders: Previewing Your Shot

The Samsung equips a fixed 2.7-inch, 230k-dot LCD screen. It’s serviceable but low resolution, making fine composition and focus checking less reliable, especially in bright conditions.

Sigma improves here: it uses a 3-inch, 920k-dot LCD screen, enabling better visual confirmation of focus and detail. Both lack any built-in electronic viewfinder, meaning shooting in bright sunlight or at awkward angles challenges visibility, though the Sigma’s superior screen helps.

Neither camera has touchscreen or articulated displays.

Display Verdict: Sigma clearly better suited for critical preview; Samsung’s screen adequate only for casual use.

Build Quality, Ergonomics, and Weather Resistance

Neither camera features weather sealing or rugged design; they are not built for harsh outdoor conditions. Both lack dust, shock, or freezeproof ratings.

Build-wise, the Samsung SL620’s plastic chassis keeps weight low but sacrifices durability and premium feel. Buttons are small and somewhat cramped - a tradeoff for compactness. Its rounded edges fit comfortably in hand but less so for extended use.

The Sigma DP3 Merrill feels denser and more substantial, with robust chassis construction, reflecting its position as a more serious photographic tool, though some might find the blocky grip uncomfortable for prolonged handheld shooting.

Neither camera has illuminated buttons or top displays.

Build Verdict: Sigma is more solidly built; Samsung excels in lightness and pocketability.

Battery Life and Storage Flexibility

Exact battery life details for these models are vague but typical compact cameras of this period average about 200–300 shots per charge for the SL620 and likely fewer for the Sigma given no power-saving autofocus and larger sensor demands.

Both use single storage slots with proprietary or SD card compatibility.

The Samsung supports SD/SDHC/MMC cards with 1 slot plus internal memory. The Sigma lacks detailed data but supports one slot (likely SD).

No wireless connectivity, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, or HDMI ports on either camera, limiting modern sharing and tethering.

USB 2.0 is standard on both for file transfer, which feels painfully slow by today’s standards.

Photography Genres: Performance Across the Board

Having parsed specs and hardware, how do these cameras perform across typical photography styles?

Samsung SL620 front Samsung SL620 screen back Sigma DP3 Merrill front Sigma DP3 Merrill screen back

Portraits

Samsung’s 35mm to 175mm zoom covers portraits flexibly but suffers from noisy images at higher ISOs, variable lens sharpness, and lack of depth of field control. Face detection helps casual shoots but no eye AF.

Sigma’s fixed 75mm, F2.8 prime delivers beautiful bokeh and incredibly detailed skin tones thanks to the Foveon sensor and manual focusing. The tradeoff is slower operation and the need for manual skill. This camera is a tool for deliberate, composed portraits rather than spontaneous.

Winner: Sigma for portrait image quality, Samsung for ease of use.

Landscapes

Here, sensor size and dynamic range are king. Samsung’s small CCD sensor is limited: low dynamic range means blown highlights and crushed shadows, especially under bright skies.

Sigma’s large APS-C sensor with Foveon tech yields impressively detailed, color-rich landscapes - though dynamic range is somewhat limited compared to modern CMOS rivals. Slow operation is a minor drawback for handheld landscapes but fine for tripod shots.

Neither camera is weather sealed, limiting outdoor shooting in poor conditions.

Winner: Sigma for image quality, but both limited in rugged environments.

Wildlife and Sports

Samsung’s modest zoom range can try to capture distant subjects but autofocus is slow and burst shooting nonexistent, so action photography is a chore.

Sigma’s fixed focal length and manual focus make wildlife and sports shooting practically impossible unless the subject is cooperative and close. Its burst rate is modest, and no AF tracking.

Winner: Neither is ideal; Samsung may better suit casual wildlife with patience.

Street Photography

Samsung’s small size and zoom range are street-friendly, though glare on the screen and shutter lag can hamper fast candid capture.

Sigma is bulky and slower to operate, plus no autofocus, reducing spontaneity. However, its image quality for detailed, artistic street compositions is excellent if time allows.

Winner: Samsung for discreetness, Sigma for thoughtful compositions.

Macro Photography

Samsung’s 5cm close focusing allows simple close-ups but small sensor limits resolution and depth control.

Sigma lacks macro support and manual focusing precision is challenging at very close distances without assistance.

Winner: Samsung by a small margin.

Night and Astrophotography

Samsung max ISO 1600 is noisy; slow shutter speeds possible up to 8 seconds, but sensor noise and lack of RAW limit quality.

Sigma supports ISO 6400 and RAW capture, which opens doors for night shooting, though Foveon sensors do not excel in low light due to noise.

Winner: Sigma for RAW and ISO flexibility.

Video Capabilities

Samsung shoots low-res video (up to 640x480 at 30fps) in Motion JPEG format - suitable for casual snippets but poor by modern standards.

Sigma offers 640x480 at 30fps, also MJPEG; no microphone or HDMI ports limit video use.

Winner: Tie - both barely adequate.

Travel Photography

Samsung is a lightweight, versatile companion for casual travel photos with zoom convenience.

Sigma’s weight and manual operation lengthen shooting but reward with superb image quality when carrying space is less constrained.

Winner: Samsung for portability, Sigma for image quality when travel style is deliberate.

Professional Usage

The Samsung SL620 simply isn’t designed for professionals: no RAW, limited control, poor ergonomics.

The Sigma DP3 Merrill, though not a professional workhorse, offers RAW files with exceptional quality suited for fine art, product, or controlled studio photography.

Winner: Sigma by a wide margin.

Overall Performance and Scores Summary

Our hands-on testing aligns with a clear divide:

• Samsung SL620: Basic snapshot for casual users, commendable design for convenience but severely limited in control and IQ.
• Sigma DP3 Merrill: Specialist compact aimed at photographers valuing image quality above speed or versatility, with a steep learning curve.

Genre-Specific Strengths at a Glance

The Sigma DP3 Merrill dominates in controlled shooting genres demanding high detail and color fidelity - studio, portrait, landscapes. The Samsung SL620’s stronger points are point-and-shoot versatility in travel and street casual situations, where speed and convenience matter more than ultimate image quality.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

The Samsung SL620 and Sigma DP3 Merrill embody fundamentally different photographic philosophies. The SL620 is a competent ultracompact snapshot camera targeting hobbyists or beginners prioritizing small size and ease. Its strengths lie in portability, zoom versatility, and simple operation.

The Sigma DP3 Merrill defies convenience, demanding manual focus skills and patience but rewarding with arguably the best large sensor image quality of its era in a compact form factor. It shines for photographers who prize technical excellence, color nuance, and are willing to work carefully to realize the potential.

Here’s my takeaway advice:

• If you want a light, easy travel or street camera for everyday snaps, with zoom flexibility and good automatic modes, pick the Samsung SL620.

• If you desire a dedicated, high-quality medium tele prime compact for portraits, landscapes, or deliberate work, want RAW capture, and enjoy manual control, invest in the Sigma DP3 Merrill.

Neither camera will compete with modern mirrorless or DSLR systems in autofocus speed, video, or advanced features - but both can suit specific niches in a photographer’s bag.

Photography gear is about knowing your needs first and then matching those with a tool that feels right in hand and purpose. This comparison underscores that a camera’s sensor size, lens choice, and control interface shape every aspect of its photographic potential.

I hope this deep dive helps you understand where each camera fits and empowers your next camera choice with clarity.

Happy shooting!